Disappointed with Sebertech. Any options?

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fockewul

Joined
Nov 21, 2005
Messages
20
Hello

I own a victorinox minichamp and I'm looking for a keychain tool with pliers to complement it. I was thinking of a Sebertech M3 but I was really disappointed when I saw a Sebertech M2 today. :thumbdn: The wire cutters/strippers had no edge. They were actually rounded. How I'm I supposed to cut wire (main use would be electrical wire) with that? :confused: Also, the build quality seemed somewhat poor for the price. A small flat screwdriver would also be a nice feature (small enough to screw my eyeglasse's tiny screws).
Can anyone recommed another tool? Thanks.
 
If you plan to cut a lot of wire, get a pair of wire cutters. I have an M2 and find that the "handles" are really too short to get enough leverage to cut anything really big.
 
Thanks for the info. I already know Swiss+Tech, but those pliers don't seem any better (maybe I'm wrong). How about the Leatherman Squirt P4? Any opinions?
 
Alternatives micro plier to SerberTech are the Swiss+Tech tools or the Leatherman Squirt P4.

The Swiss+Tech Micro have odd shaped pliers so the they can fold into the compact design, but they have been proven to be more durable than SerberTech tools. There was a review by a gun club/magazine that I cannot now find the URL to the compared the two and broke two seperate SeberTechs when applying a lot of pressure to the handles, but did not break the Swiss+Tech tool.

Here is a link to the Micro-Plus tool.

It is not much good if you need a long nose plier, but it is compact.

Another alternative is Leatherman Squirt P4. It is a little heavier, but has better tools.
 
The only really small plier tool I've found that seems worth the effort is the SOG CrossGrip. The grip ergonomics, plus the compound leverage, allow you to apply several times the force that you can get with the other miniatures.

--Bob Q
 
I agree with the above posts. The Swiss+Tech tools are much better than their SeberTech counterparts. They may look funny, but they work very well. I have a couple of the Micro-Pro XLs and a couple of the Micro-Plus 8-in-1s and they all work very well. If you either get one of these, try to get a stainless steel version. I like them mainly because opening the pliers will release it from your keychain to use separately.

The Squirt P4 would also be a good choice. It is very well-built but still very small. I have a couple of these as well as a couple of the S4s and they have all worked very well. As gatch mentioned above, the Leatherman Squirt EL from RadioShack is a good little tool. I have a couple of these and use them at work all the time stripping wires. It even has small needle-nose pliers on the very end. It has proved to be invaluable. At $40 the price may be a little high but I've seen several of them sell on Ebay for less.

Also, the SOG CrossGrip. I have a couple of these also and the compound leverage is awesome. It is very easy to use the pliers as it is just like a fluid motion. Sometimes, I just like to sit and play with it as the gears for the compound leverage are addictive. SOG also has the CrossCut to complement this tool. I also have a couple CrossCuts and the compound leverage works equally well on it.

No one has mentioned Gerber's new Clutch keychain tool. It is very inexpensive and seems to work very well. I have a couple of these as well as a couple of the Shortcuts. These are equivalent to the Squirt P4 and S4 that Leatherman has. But, I don't think they are anywhere near the quality of the Squirts, especially the other tools in the handle. However, the Clutch and Shortcut cost about half the price of a P4 or S4.

I know I have listed a lot of small tools as well as some that don't really apply to what you are wanting (i.e. scissors-based). But, I like to carry these small tools in pairs. In Leatherman's case, triplets. Below is how I have them arranged. I always carry a pliers-based tool as well as a scissors-based tool.

Swiss+Tech
Micro-Plus 8-in-1 (accompanied by my Leatherman Micra on my keychain).

Leatherman
Squirt P4, Squirt S4, Squirt EL (pouches available to purchase from Leatherman or an authorized vendor).

SOG
CrossGrip, CrossCut (each comes with their own pouch).

Gerber
Clutch, Shortcut (no pouch).

Now, if only Leatherman would make a pliers-based Micra. :D
 
heathah said:
Also, the SOG CrossGrip. I have a couple of these also and the compound leverage is awesome.
Click to expand...
Overall, the SOGs are great, but one thing chaps my hide: the teeth on the gears chews up pockets (and legs!). They ship with a cheap vinyl slipcase, but it's a pain to get the tool in and out of it.

heathah said:
No one has mentioned Gerber's new Clutch keychain tool.
Click to expand...
Maybe because Gerber is gone over to the Dark Side, and is now making cheap knock-offs of other makers' designs.

You missed one of my favorite scissor-based tools: the Schrade Tough Chip. (Discontinued now that Schrade is belly-up, but I still see them around online once in a while.) Longest and sturdiest scissors out there, cuts even better than the CrossCut.
 
Gryffin said:
You missed one of my favorite scissor-based tools: the Schrade Tough Chip. (Discontinued now that Schrade is belly-up, but I still see them around online once in a while.) Longest and sturdiest scissors out there, cuts even better than the CrossCut.
Click to expand...

Ah, I knew I'd forget one. I even have a couple of these. :D I think fockewul is looking for a pliers-based tool, though. This brings me to a question: Did Schrade ever make a small pliers-based tool (back when they were still being Made in the U.S.A.)?
 
Gryffin said:
Overall, the SOGs are great, but one thing chaps my hide: the teeth on the gears chews up pockets (and legs!). They ship with a cheap vinyl slipcase, but it's a pain to get the tool in and out of it.
Click to expand...

Agreed. :thumbup:
 
heathah said:
I think fockewul is looking for a pliers-based tool, though.
Click to expand...
True, but the topic had skewed off into scissors-based tools, too. Why not cover all the bases? ;)

heathah said:
This brings me to a question: Did Schrade ever make a small pliers-based tool (back when they were still being Made in the U.S.A.)?
Click to expand...
Not that I'm aware of. I was waiting for them to do a pliers-based Mini-Chip up until they went belly-up. :(
 
Gryffin said:
Overall, the SOGs are great, but one thing chaps my hide: the teeth on the gears chews up pockets (and legs!). They ship with a cheap vinyl slipcase, but it's a pain to get the tool in and out of it.
Click to expand...

Get Normark to make you a kydex keychain sheath for it. That will add to your carry options and protect you from the gears at the same time, all with very little additional bulk.

--Bob Q
 
I have one of the Leatherman Mini's. It works really well but is considerably heavier than the Squirts or Micra's. In fact it has a pouch.

One note, if you buy the Swiss Tech it should be allowed as carry-on on airlines. Anyway, I fly next month and I'm going to see if they let me on with it.
 
I also have a Leatherman Mini-Tool. It is a great tool, but not as versatile as most multi-tools. Also, as Gadgetman7 said, it is quite heavy, despite its compact size.

I think The Mini-Tool is best when paired with an appropriate SAK (such as a Super Tinker or Compact).

--Bob Q
 
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